Welder (First Class) Skills Assessment Australia

We work closeley with Trades Recognition Australia(TRA) Approved Registered training Orgnisations(RTO’s) to deliver the Trades Skills Assessment for the purpose of migrating to Australia.

You will be told if you require a Skills Assessment once you have spoken to a MARA Approved Migration Agent.

The Down Under Centre can assist you in completing your application for a Skills Assessment, if you are someone who does require a Skills Assessment.

The Down Under Centre hosts the technical Skype interviews and work with UK and Irish Welders to prepare them for their Skills Assessment. (We also have venues in the UK & Ireland). Once you have successfully passed your Skills Assessment as a Welder, you will be given your Australian Engineering Certificate 111 which is now your Australian Welder (First Class) Qualification. It is important to keep the certificate of your Qualification as Australian employers may ask for this during your interview process. The Skills Assessment will give you both your letter for migration and your Australian qualification as a Welder (First Class).

Process for Welder(First Class) Skills Assessment

1. SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE: An online self-evaluation form to make sure your skill level is at the standard immigration is looking for. Please note the mandatory requirements and how many electives you will need to complete. To get the Self-Assessment Questionnaire, please email our office at info@downundercentre.com or call our office on 020 3376 1555.This is a free service.

2. DOCUMENTARY ASSESSMENT

DOCUMENTARY ASSESSMENT – £510: This part of the Skills Assessment process and in fact the Visa is considered to be the most difficult part from many Australian MARA approved migration agents. You will need to prove that you are a qualified or an experienced First Class Welder. If you do not hold a UK qualification and have the necessary years of paid experience, you can still be assessed.

WHAT EVIDENCE IS REQUIRED? You will be asked to prove you have a minimum of three years’ experience working as a Welder and that you have been working as a Welder for 12 months out of the last 36 months. You will be asked to supply bank statements, invoices, pay slips and/ or employment references as evidence of this. You will also need to make sure that you supply certified copies of your evidence and at least 20 photos of your work as a Welder. Please make sure you are in full PPE gear in the photos as you will be assessed on Occupational Health and Safety.

It is very important to remember that most of your evidence gathering for your Welding Skills Assessment is also required for your Visa. During your conversation with the Down Under Centre, we will also be able to advise how many years of work experience will be required to give you maximum points for your visa.

The Down Under Centre offers an Agency Service to assist you with this part of the Skills Assessment and make it as easy and as stress-free as possible. For further information about our Agency Service, click here downundercentre.com/australian-skill-assessments

3. TECHNICAL SKYPE INTERVIEW

The final part of your Skills Assessment as a Welder (First Class) is a technical Skype interview. Here you will be required to come to our London venue The Down Under Centre based conveniently next to Ealing Broadway underground station downundercentre.com/contact. However, we have a venue available in Ireland and Scotland for you to take your Skype interview, if it is more suited to you.

We will organize an Australian Qualified Welder (First Class) who is also an Australian qualified trainer and an assessor who is able to discuss your Stage 2 Application with you as well as your everyday working life as a First Class Welder. This is why it’s very important that you have provided the assessing body with a full Stage 2 Pack. – If for some reason, the assessor feels that you are not able to match the required units of competency they will ask you to provide further information or complete a practical assessment/ site visit which will be at your own cost.

The assessors are aware that you may be anxious and nervous, but don’t worry, you will be able to speak with them about your application

White Card

As a Welder, you will need to obtain your White Card for Australia in order to work on any Australia building/construction site. The White Card is equivalent to your CSCS Card. We provide an online course and issue the Western Australia White Card which is accepted Australia-wide. To get started, visit our White Card Course page and Register an account.

Once you have passed, your White Card will be posted to the address you supplied in your registration.

Free Visa Points Calculator

Please fill in the form below to see if you eligible for a visa to Australia.

As in the UK, most employers in Australia will require the welder to conduct a “weld test” before considering employment.The previous welding qualification standard in the UK was BS EN 287-1 this has now been replaced by EN ISO 9606-1 in order to create European Welding Qualifications.

In essence the ‘Welder Passport’ was intended to create a standard that was recognized across Europe to aid welders moving between countries in the EU. An upcoming addition to welding certification in Australia in early 2017 is the Australian Welder Certification (AWCR) www.awcr.org.au

Member of the Welding Technology Institute of Australia

The Australian Welder Certification Register (AWCR) is similar to ‘Welder Passport’ systems used in Europe.

Welders are invited to complete a weld test, at an approved testing centre, which will qualify them to a welding procedure according to the process set out in EN ISO9606-1

Australian Standard / New Zealand Standard 2980 is the equivalent to EN ISO9606-1

Once qualified, the welder will be certified to that procedure and this information recorded in the AWCR. Once on the AWCR, the welder will be a ‘Certified Welder’ (CW).

The AWCR is regulated and managed by The Welding Technology Institute of Australia (WTIA)

The WTIA are the:

International Institute of Welding (IIW) Authorised National Body (ANB) in Australia IIW Authorised National Body for Company Certification (ANBCC) for Australia.

Welders can expect to earn between $1,250 and $1,999 per week on average ($65 000 to $103 999 per annum), depending on the organisation they work for and their level of experience. As a welder develops their skills and knowledge in Welding, their earning potential will generally increase.

Alan Kelly from Metal Trades (Australia) works with the Down Under Centre. Alan (a time served Welder originally from Scotland) requires Welders who are approximately six to eight weeks from arrival in Australia to make contact with us. If you have a Visa and you are making the move to Australia, you can contact the Down Under Centre information desk on 0203 376 1555 to discuss if you are eligible for any of our welding jobs in Australia.